


Marry Me

by Jarino



Series: Rima Lavellan, Herald of Andraste [25]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Trespasser DLC, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 16:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7369945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarino/pseuds/Jarino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After nearly two years of procrastination, Cullen finally proposes to (and marries) the girl of his dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marry Me

Kneeling in his finery against the stone floor, Cullen lightly rolled the wooden ball between his hands. He tossed it forward, hoping to instill the lesson into the mabari, only to have the dog leap into the air and catch it in his mouth. He began eagerly padding up to Cullen, dropping the toy at his feet and wagging his tail. Cullen could only sigh and shake his head.

Taking the slobbery ball into his hand, he held it up in front of the dog’s face. “You, there! You’re to dodge, not catch!” he chided, though his amused smile betrayed him. “If that ball were a fireball, you’d be dead.”

The mabari gave an indignant bark in response, but continued to pant happily.

As he shook his head in amusement, Rima slowly came into his field of vision. She was tilting her head to the side, her mouth quirked up in delight as she stared at the pair. “You found a dog? Here of all places?”

“They don’t breed mabari in Orlais,” he answered with a smile. “The merchant said he was abandoned. Perhaps his owners tired of the novelty?”

“Tire of _you?_ ” Rima cooed affectionately, crouching down to scratch the dog on his head. “With that positive attitude and fetching ability?” The dog gave a happy bark in response, wagging his tail eagerly.

“Ugh…He’s not supposed to fetch it…” Cullen sighed with mild annoyance.

Rima’s eyebrows rose in a questioning manner, though the wide grin stretching across her face showed her amusement at his reaction. “I don’t think you understand how this works.”

He returned her smile before looking back to the dog once more. “Another Ferelden trapped at the Winter Palace…I couldn’t leave him to that fate,” he said with a chuckle. “Besides, I think he likes me.”

“I never expected _you_ to make friends at a political council,” she quipped. “How times have changed.”

He gave a genuine laugh in response, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth. “So they have…”

They both quieted after that, their expressions softening as the silence encompassed them. Cullen’s gaze shifted downward, his brows drawing together in contemplation. “The Inquisition will change after this…I’m not yet sure what that will mean…” He resumed petting the mabari, giving the creature a generous amount of tummy rubs as he continued. “Still…I’ve found certainty in my life now; the council won’t change that.”

Slowly, he rose from his spot the floor, standing to his full height and looking over to her.

She stood a few feet away from him, gazing at him expectantly with those big, curious eyes of hers. She had a habit of appearing larger than life despite her small stature, yet here, when it was just the two of them, that trait became less prevalent. Her posture was more relaxed, though he couldn’t help but notice her left hand as it twitched unconsciously at her side.

He frowned, his brows drawing together tightly as his expression grew serious. The mark had been getting worse…He’d spent his fair share of nights staying up with her, offering comfort in an attempt to soothe the pain.

There was no telling what would become of them in the future. The Exalted Council and the Anchor each offered their own obstacles they would need to overcome. He thought of the ring that had been boring a hole in his pocket for the last week, and lifted his gaze to meet hers. Seeing her standing there, so beautiful and strong despite everything the world had thrown at her, he realized he’d been putting this off for far too long.

His face softening into a smile, the words fell from his lips in a quiet breath. “Marry me.”

The dog at his side gave a bark of support and Rima’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “What?” Her eyes widened dramatically, her hand flying to her face in shock.

He immediately felt a wave of panic and instinctively reached for the back of his neck. Oh, but he’d phrased that like an order, hadn’t he? Maker, he was doing this all wrong…

“I mean – will you…ah-” he stammered, fumbling over his words before ultimately letting out a low sigh. “I had a plan, and…and there wasn’t a dog, but you were…”

_Stunning. Gorgeous. Utterly distracting._

Giving another halfhearted groan, he began shaking his head as he smiled at his own foolishness. “It doesn’t matter.” She slowly approached him, her expression of surprise still very evident and he found himself overcome with affection. “I’ve thought of little else. And I don’t need a plan. Only to know if you would…”

“I would!” she exclaimed almost immediately, her voice barely contained excitement before she calmed herself a bit, a genuine smile appearing on her face. “Cullen, I will.”

“You will,” he repeated in blissful disbelief. Two years later and he still could hardly believe his luck at finding someone such as her. He slowly approached her, his arm wrapping around her waist as he drew her closer.

Looking up at him shyly, Rima offered him a smile. “People will notice the Inquisitor marrying her Commander in the middle of the Exalted Council.”

Now it was Cullen’s turn to appear shocked, his brows arching as he huffed out a laugh. “I can’t say I mind the eagerness, but _here_? Are you certain?”

She glanced to the side, a bit of nervousness working its way into her expression before she mumbled, “Well, I mean…I could wait, but all our friends are here now. Dorian’s going back to Tevinter after all this and Varric is apparently the Viscount of Kirkwall now…and then Cassandra hardly has time to see us at all with her duties as Divine…” She gave a small sigh before looking up at him with hopeful uncertainty. “And if I’m being honest, I feel like I’ve waited long enough already.”

He could feel his heart warming at hearing her words and he instinctively pulled her closer before locking his lips with hers. “Who am I to deny you such a simple request?” he murmured lovingly as he stroked her cheek.

They stood for several moments, caught up in each other’s affection before Rima eventually said, “I suppose we should take care of the preparations, shouldn’t we?”

He gave a hum of agreement, but didn’t let go.

“Josephine will want to get me a dress, and Cassandra will be absolutely livid if she’s not notified right away…”

“Oh, absolutely,” he rumbled, nipping playfully at her neck.

“Cullen,” she said with a giggle. “If you want to marry me, you’re going to have to let me go sooner or later.”

“Mm…don’t want to.”

He continued peppering her neck with kisses and she let out a laugh, fighting halfheartedly against his ministrations. Eventually, she worked her way out of his grasp, though he still held her left hand firmly in his. He spent a few moments rubbing circles into her palm before lifting it and planting a delicate kiss on the back of her hand.

She met his gaze with a warm smile, a becoming blush making itself known on her cheeks. “I’ll see you soon?” she asked softly, her voice somewhat dazed.

“I certainly hope so.”

 -----

Only a few hours later, by some miracle or other, not only had they managed to gather their friends together, but had also made the ceremony itself somewhat presentable. Cullen chalked it up to Josephine’s unbelievable skills – that woman could plan a reception for the Maker Himself in less than a day with only a ball of twine to spare.

Rows of chairs had been pulled into the garden, a long red carpet leading a trail up to the arbor where decorative silk drapes and flowers were strung up beautifully. Members of the Inquisition and nobles alike had all gathered, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bride.

The procession was short-lived, beginning with Dorian, the Best Man, followed shortly by Cullen. Dorian had initially insisted on giving Rima away, but as Cullen’s closest friend, accepted his new assignment readily enough. Varric was much more suited to the role anyway.

Next in line was Cassandra. Though it was certainly odd to see her parade down the aisle in her Divine robes, the woman had insisted on being there for Rima, and truth be told, no one else could have played the role of Maid of Honor as well as her. Behind her was Mother Giselle, the Officiant of the marriage, and trailing after her was Cullen’s mabari, who carried a pillow with the rings in his mouth.

As soon as they’d all taken their places, all eyes turned to Rima. Josephine had managed to find a dress for her after all – a simple white gown with gold trimmings, and Maker…did she ever look radiant in it. Her hair had also been done up in a slightly more complicated up-do, which did nicely to compliment the long planes of her face. Arm and arm with Varric, she slowly made her way down the aisle, smiling brightly the whole way.

When they’d reached the altar, Varric carefully released her arm, offering her a genuine smile and Cullen a thumbs-up before taking his place with the others.

The pair stood before the altar, staring lovingly into one another’s eyes. Gently, Cullen took her hands into his own, pulling her a half step closer. His expression was unbelievably tender as he gazed at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

“Just know…” he murmured at an intimate volume. “Everything feels like it was worth fighting for.”

Looking up at him with a smile of her own, she whispered back, “It was.”

“This is…” He was still smiling, and found himself trailing off as he grew distracted once more. Maker, but this was real, wasn’t it? He’d dreamed of this moment for months, perhaps years, and now that she was standing before him, he found himself too overcome with joy to think properly.

When Cullen remained silent another moment, Mother Giselle helpfully supplied, “This is the part where you make a promise.” She gave a knowing grin, her head tilting to the side as she addressed the lovesick man.

“Oh, right.” Clearing his throat, he turned back to Rima and continued. “I swear unto the Maker and the Holy Andraste to love this woman the rest of my days. To hold and cherish her; to guide and support her through thick and thin. Not a day will go by that I will not be eternally grateful for having met such a kind, wonderful woman, and for being lucky enough to stand beside her now.”

Rima was smiling from ear to ear, her eyes welling up with emotion as she listened to his vows. After a beat of silence, Mother Giselle turned to Rima, indicating it was her turn to continue.

She gave a soft laugh, squeezing his hands tightly as she gazed up at him amorously. “To the Creators, and the Maker, and any other divine beings who might be listening: I vow to dedicate my life to the man before me. May our journey together be blessed, and may our love be eternal.” Swallowing thickly, she blinked against the tears that threatened to spill over. “Never before have I met anyone so selfless, so strong of heart…And I only ask to be given the chance to spend the rest of our lives together, so that we might continue to love and support each other in the days to come.”

It seemed as though Cullen was also on the verge of tears now, his gaze proud and filled to the brim with love. When she’d finished her part, Mother Giselle gave them both a warm smile before asking, “May I have the rings?”

With a muffled bark, the mabari took two steps forward, wagging his tail proudly as he offered the pillow to her. While Rima’s ring had been bought weeks ago at a shop in Denerim by Cullen, Rima had purchased Cullen’s last minute during her preparations with Josephine. She’d managed to locate a merchant in the courtyard and found a relatively simple silver band – one that wouldn’t interfere with his work. It even had a small enchantment attached that would help protect him in battle should that be necessary.

As the pair donned the respective rings on one another, their grip on each other’s hands lingered, and they found themselves lost in one another’s eyes once more. Giving the couple one last look, Mother Giselle turned to the crowd and declared, “I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford-Lavellan. You may kiss.”

Grinning brilliantly, Cullen wasted absolutely no time heeding her words. His arms wrapping around Rima’s waist, he pulled her in for a deep kiss, dipping her slightly in the process. They were met with a chorus of cheers and applause, with a few hoots and hollers and a wolf whistle from Dorian thrown into the mix. When they finally broke apart, they were both smiling uncontrollably, unable to let the other go.

With a warm laugh, Cullen leaned forward to rest his forehead against his wife’s. Maker – she was his _wife_ now. The entire idea made his head spin, but it also filled him with an unbelievable amount of warmth.

The ceremony was unnecessary. It had been nice to include their friends in the event, and he certainly wasn’t complaining about seeing Rima done up so beautifully, but if he was to be honest with himself, none of that mattered. The only important thing in his eyes was the woman in his arms who he was now lucky enough to call his wife.

**Author's Note:**

> This might seem a bit dull, but I've been working on this piece on and off for several months now and it was super hard for me to make any progress at all. This is about the best I could come up with, so I apologize if it's a little lackluster.


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